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A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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First published 1983 (DOST Vol. V).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Pen, n. Also: penn(e, pene, pend. [ME. and e.m.E. penn(e (Cursor M.), e.m.E. pen (1560), OF. penne, also pene, pan(n)e (12th c. in Godef.), feather, plume, quill, pen, L. penna feather, also, in plur., = wings, also late L. penna writing-pen.]

1. A bird's feather.Found only in verse.In plur. also (freq.) spec.: The flight feathers of a bird; the ‘plumes’, the wings.sing. a1500 Henr. Fab. 1357 (Bann.).
A row of paper in his hand … A swannis pen stickand vndir his eirplur. a1500 Henr. Fab. 1667 (Bann.).
The foulis fair … Scheddand the air with pennis grite and small c1500-c1512 Dunb. Flyt. 157 (B).
Thow plukkis the pultre and scho pullis of the penis [: henis] Id. xxxv. 23.
Quhill that ane abbot him cleith in ernis pennis [: crennis] Ib. xlviii. 121.
As steill dertis scherpit scho [Nature] his [the Eagle's] pennis [: crennis, wrennis] Ib. xxxiii. 102. 1513 Doug. xii. v. 79.
The lyght thai [sc. birds] dirkyn with thar pennys thik 1531 Bell. Boece I. xv.
The wind meridiane With wingis donk and pennis full of rane Awalkenit me 1567 G. Ball. 107.
His wingis … His pennis ar thy strang defence 1581-1623 James VI Poems I. 44/40.
This foule [the Phoenix] … Whose taill of coulour was celestiall blew With skarlat pennis that through it mixed grew a1605 Montg. Ch. & Slae 185 (W).
I had not raschelie interprysit To soire with borrowit pennis c1590 Fowler I. 62/119.
Cupids purple penns 1587-99 Hume 31/163. ? 1601 Cal. Sc. P. XIII. 920.
[The young Phoenix, so long as he has no feathers to fly, he needs no cages to keep him but being come] hard of his pennes [then (etc.)] 1611-57 Mure Early Misc. P. iv. 5.
As he did presume too hie with borrowed pends [: endis]

2. a. The quill or stem of a feather. b. A quill or spine of a hedgehog. ?1549 Monro W. Isles (1884) 64.
This fleiche … hes na pens in the fedderis nor nae kynd of hard thinge in them that may be felt or graipit a1603 Anc. Prophecies ii.
Hurcheon … thou shal be … plucked ilk pen, Shal neuer doun on thy skinne nor birs be thé left

3. A quill-pen for writing, a pen.Also attrib. in Pen-horn(e n. and Pen-knyf(f n.(1) a1400 Leg. S. xxiv. 337.
For-thi sone askyt he … Pene, ink and parchemyne c1420 Ratis R. (S.T.S.) 1799.
Now pene, I pray thé, rest thé here c1460 Alex. (Taym.) 19593.
Quhill hand and pen and toung and eine micht lest a1500 Henr. Fab. 1357 (see 1 above). a1500 Prestis of Peblis 164 (A).
With him a clerk with ynk, paper & pen 1490 Irland Mir. II. 95/8.
And I had pennis of siluer … and ink of gold c1500-c1512 Dunb. Flyt. 12. 1513 Doug. xii. Prol. 305.
I hynt a scriptour and my pen furth tuke 1549 Compl. 9/34.
Quhou beit that the laubir vitht the pen & the studie … apeir to be ydilnes 1562-3 Winȝet I. 140 marg.
Och for mair paper or pennyis 1567 Sat. P. iii. 49.
With Romaine hand he could weill leid ane pen Ib. 150.
Quha dow abstene fra litigatioun Or from his paper hald aback the pen Except [etc.] 1572 Sempill Sat. P. xxx. i.
Thow emptie pen! pas but experience With dull indyte a1578 Pitsc. II. 35/21.
Bot I sall … help to mak thair instrumentis witht langer pennis and reder ink nor they bring witht thame 1582 Misc. Stair Soc. I. 108.
Other the carligenes of the parchement or ane evill pen or ellis nocht weill passing ink 1640 Dundonald Par. Rec. 467.
Let the maister make or mend thair pens ?c1675 J. Gordon Hist. II. 26.
The penns which had been ther weapons on both sydes, for a whyle wer exchaunged with pickes(2) 1513–14 Prestwick B. Rec. 45.
Mertyn Myllar has subscribyt this writin wyth his hand, the pene leid, befor thir vytnes 1529 Reg. Episc. Aberd. I. 397.
Alex^r Knollis with his hand at penne 1539 Antiq. Aberd. & B. III. 199.
In witnes … with my hand at the pene led be Schir Jhon Cristesone 1551 Ib. 183.
Thomas Chaw^r at the pen 1567 Banff Ann. II. 385.
Penn 1569 Rec. Earld. Orkney 129. 1574 Chart. Coupar A. II. 239.
Pene 1591 Edinb. Test. XXII. 286.
Hir hand on the pen led on hir lig postie becaus scho could nocht writt hir self 1599 Buccleuch Mun. II. 257. 1637 Binns P. (S.R.S.) 35.
[Signed] James Allan with my hand tuichyng the notaris penn underwriten becaus I cannot wrytt

Put for: b. Literary activity, the work or product of an author. c. A writer or author.b. a1500 Seven S. 110.
Thus … I … to the empriour tornis my pen c1500-c1512 Dunb. Flyt. 85.
My freyindis thow reprovit with thy pen 1535 Stewart 34905.
My pen wald tyre … Gif I suld heir his worthines discryfe 1554 Knox III. 165.
Be my rude pen 1567 Sat. P. iii. 196. 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 53.
Vantyng that his pen sould be worth ten thowsand men 1585 James VI Ess. 29.
Will ye … make your pen A slaue to sinne 1607 Melvill 737.c. c1515 Kennedy Asl. MS. II. 273/29.
Plesand pennis … Couth nocht discryve thi honowris infinit 1626 Garden Worthies 75.
Thy laud and life … by such penns profound set furth

4. Penne-paper, ? paper with a feather or pen as a water-mark. — 1624 Edinb. Test. LII. 294.
Fyve rimbes penne paper at xxvj s. viij d. the rimb

5. a. A stylus or the like. a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 1362 (Harl.).
This foresaid actioun … Witht pen of steill in to thi hart imprent

b. Killavyne pen, a pencil: see Killavyne n.

6. transf. A man's penis. c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 135.
Thoght his pen purly me payis in bed [etc.] a1570-86 Kennedy Maitl. F. cxxxi. 31.
Quhone pen and purs and all is peild [etc.] a1570-86 Balnavis Maitl. F. cxxix. 36.
At that semblance is no plesance Quhone pithles is thi pen